Fatimah (centre) flanked by JKMS director Noriah Ahmad (left) and a JKMS official at the press conference.
KUCHING (Sept 22): In view of the expected floods from now until March 2023, the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS) is ready to activate 627 temporary evacuation centres (PPS) throughout the state that have the capacity to accommodate 162,091 evacuees.
Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said according to the report from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the transition phase of the monsoon will occur from mid-September until November, and MetMalaysia expects the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) 2022/2023 to begin in November 2022 and lasts till March 2023.
“In view of the transition phase of the monsoon, JKMS has been preparing for the unfortunate circumstances of floods in the state.
“According to MetMalaysia, the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang are expected to experience heavy monsoon rains from November to December 2022, while Johor, Sabah and Sarawak are expected to experience heavy monsoon rains from December 2022 to January 2023.
“Therefore, the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and other agencies, we are together in the disaster committee, we share our role together,” she said at a press conference in the ministry’s office yesterday.
A total of 627 PPS will be activated – in Kuching (175), Samarahan (55), Serian (47), Sri Aman (43), Betong (35), Sarikei (33), Sibu (47) Mukah (54), Kapit (29), Bintulu (30), Miri (48) and Limbang (31) divisions.
“Do not make your own arrangement to be transferred to an evacuation centre which is not listed under SDMC. In our past experience, we have come across victims moved to a place that is not listed as PPS, then they complained that the food was not delivered and when we asked them, they said they were told to move to the place (place not registered as PPS).
“Therefore, the community leaders, the ‘Tuai Kampung’, the JKKK (Village Security and Development Committee), the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), the Civil Defence Force (APM) and other agencies also must follow the PPS lists to smoothen the process of transferring the victims next time.
“For the people who will be affected by floods, when you are ordered to evacuate, please do so and go to the nearest PPS,” she said.
On disaster relief, she said JKMS has a large disaster relief storage depot, three mini depots and 16 disaster stores at their divisional and district JKMS.
“What we have in the stores include basic facilities such as mattresses, blankets, sarongs, mats and many other basic needs. This also includes collapsible tents (10,000) and mobile partitions (272).
“For the basic food aid, there will be rice, sugar, coffee, cooking oil, instant noodles and biscuits,” she added.
On the forward bases for areas that are difficult to access, especially those far from big cities or the nearest towns, she said they are usually set up in an old mosque or the longhouse.
At the moment, 25 areas in Kuching, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Mukah, Kapit, Bintulu and Miri divisions have been identified as sites for forward bases.
“In order to ensure uninterrupted delivery of disaster aid, JKMS has prepared 23 forward disaster bases to accommodate dry food for areas that are far in the rural areas not reachable by road,” she added.
Meanwhile, a total of 206 suppliers have been appointed to supply food to disaster victims.
“Of the total, 77 suppliers are capable of supplying needs on a large scale, while 129 suppliers are small scale. At the same time, a total of 252 cooked food suppliers are preparing to face the upcoming monsoon season,” she said.
Fatimah also said, in an effort to strengthen preparedness for the northeast monsoon, JKMS will hold a state-level Training and Disaster Simulation programme on Sept 27 at Dewan Ranchan, Serian.
Fatimah welcomed the public, NGOs or corporate bodies to make donations to the disaster relief aid.
“We welcome their initiatives, but if possible, it is better that they inform us so that we can coordinate the donation, so as not to cause issues later. Definitely, it is a good gesture because it will add value to the aid given by the government,” she said.
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